Monday, June 23, 2008

Reality ChickAlly Cavanaugh decides she wants to be on a reality TV show. In her freshmen year of college. That begins the unrealistic part of the book. The setting, the television show, could have been changed without changing the book. The book could have been changed and you wouldn’t know you were reading something different. It really had that “haven’t I read that before” quality and not in a good way.

If Barnholdt would have explored the photography angle and the growing relationship between Drew and Ally, the book would have been much better. A little less name-dropping would help too – it will really date the book. Barnholdt also portrays Ally’s parents as idiots and her best friend as the stereotypical gay guy obsessed with his looks. So campy. Those parts could have been left out and would have improved the story.

Let’s just start with the title. Bad. Can you imagine having to ask for this book in a store or at the library? How embarrassing! This book was unrealistic from beginning to end - the mom moving to Germany to work on her degree, Kate earning money so she doesn’t have to go to college, the nerd dating the most popular guy in school, and then everyone wanting to know her secret. It was totally predictable and the ending could be determined within the first two chapters. Nothing was explored in depth. We all want to believe that you can cross the lines of popularity. This book does not help us.

Let me just start this by saying I am NOT a Meg Cabot fan. So I went into this with a bias – but hoping that I would be proved wrong.

Emerson Watts is a “feminist” – she doesn’t dress like a girl, she doesn’t wear makeup and she plays video games every chance she gets.

Nikki Howard is a “model” – she’s tall, skinny, and not very bright. She is loved by every guy who sees her.

Nikki is the new face of Stark Enterprises and everything Emerson sees as what’s wrong with society.

*****SPOILER ALERT*****Emerson has to take her younger sister Frida – a Nikki Howard fan – to a grand opening ceremony of a new Stark Enterprises megastore. They are there to see Stark;s new singer, Gabriel Luna but they see Nikki walking through the store. Frida chases after Nikki to get her autograph and almost has a television fall on her head. The only thing that saves her – is Emerson.When Emerson comes to, she finds out that her brain has been transplanted into Nikki Howard’s body.*****END SPOILER*****

Looks vs. Brains? Can you have both? Does our society put a premium on what’s on the outside or what’s on the inside?

The FoldJoyce and Gina are best friends ending their junior year of high school. They are determined to make this summer one of transformation. They want to look better, prettier, to stand out and be noticed. When they go back to school in the fall, they want people to say Wow. Who wouldn’t want that?

What steps are you willing to take to be “pretty”? Joyce’s Aunt Gomo offers her the chance of a lifetime. She will pay for Joyce to get her eyes done. Get her eyes done? Will that work? Is that all she needs to be beautiful? Joyce has a decision to make. Will the surgery get her what she wants?

The Fold follows Joyce on her quest for popularity. She has to decide how far she wants to go to get what she wants.

Although this story has a great premise, it is predictable and slow-moving. Joyce’s obsession with John Ford Kang is unrealistic based on what he writes in her yearbook. Her loathing of her sister Helen is selfish and has no basis and knowing what we do about Gomo – leads us to the conclusion long before we get there.